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I’m curious as to how many times we need to see incidents like this. Misogyny via the expression of normative patriarchal values at it very finest in dear old Cowtown. Go take a look at the clip from CBC Calgary with reporter Meghan Grant.
“FHRITP — or f–k her right in the p—y — is a phrase men scream at (for the most part) female reporters. It’s rude, it’s degrading and it’s harassment. It’s happened before. It’ll probably happen again. But today was different. Since the Flames made the playoffs, I’ve heard numerous stories from reporter friends of harassment along the Red Mile. So-called fans screaming obscenities at reporters. So-called fans trying to get women to show their breasts. So-called fans behaving badly in the name of the Flames. Today, I’m doing a story on the #SafeRedMile movement. People doing things in an effort to discourage harassment (often sexual) along 17th Avenue during and after games.”
Well.
Two dude bros took it upon themselves to share their very important opinion (laced with male entitlement) with Meghan and the world. And here is the very best part – when women complain about stupid misogynistic shit like this they are not taken seriously, or dismissed as generalizing.
Well.
Of course #NOTALLMEN! … (warning on video for misogyny, harassment and language).
What many #notallmen defenders seem not to realize is that there is a critical mass of men out there that condone this sort of behaviour. It may not be *you* personally or your mates, but this shit is prevalent enough that it still remains socially acceptable to do so. So dudes, are you feeling unfairly accused, indignant even that you would be so slavishly generalized about?? Let me assure you, being catcalled and harassed like this is *far* worse than the righteous rage you may be feeling.
So suck it up, man up, and call this shit out when you see it happening around you because the female half of the human race should not have to deal with this kind of harassment (that happens daily).
We can see the #NotAllMen at work in the comments section, allow me to highlight a few…
i am a man and i do not shout things like this at anyone, yet this reporter chooses to stereotype all men as engaging in this behaviour. this story is offensive to me as a man, and sexist.
Fascinating. Obviously if I am not doing it, it cannot be a thing. But my feelings are hurt because men as class tend to act this way toward women. We need to focus more on my manfeels and less on those women being catcalled and harassed.
- Tape_to_Tape
The FHRITP is a small issue completely blown out of proportion by the media.
Is it crude? Yes. Is it considered unacceptable behaviour? Yes. Does it represent more than 1% of men or sports fans? NO.
It seems the CBC can’t get enough on this issue. Be done with it already and move on!!
Oh this is all just trivial shit as it never happens to me so can we please just move on as it clearly isn’t a problems for dudes…
Is it a remote possibility that somehow the “man” in truck collaborated with the interviewer?
Maybe just a strange coincidence?
*Cue X-files music* – It must be a conspiracy by those damn double XXers to make men look bad! Unpossible! Ibeing a man, am offended that people like me do this, thus rather than try to see the problem I’ll label a conspiracy so I don’t have to change one fucking iota.
Being female in our society presents a different set of challenging obstacles that women must face *every* day. I suggest that we start listening to, rather than dismissing, what women have to say.
‘Nuff said.
Amanda Hess on Misogyny Spotting –
“These are forms of male aggression that only women see. But even when men are afforded a front seat to harassment, they don’t always have the correct vantage point for recognizing the subtlety of its operation. Four years before the murders, I was sitting in a bar in Washington, D.C. with a male friend. Another young woman was alone at the bar when an older man scooted next to her. He was aggressive, wasted, and sitting too close, but she smiled curtly at his ramblings and laughed softly at his jokes as she patiently downed her drink. ‘Why is she humoring him?’ my friend asked me. ‘You would never do that.’ I was too embarrassed to say: ‘Because he looks scary’ and ‘I do it all the time.’
Women who have experienced this can recognize that placating these men is a rational choice, a form of self-defense to protect against setting off an aggressor. But to male bystanders, it often looks like a warm welcome, and that helps to shift blame in the public eye from the harasser and onto his target, who’s failed to respond with the type of masculine bravado that men more easily recognize.”
[Source]
From an article by Glosswitch published on the New Statesman.
“The underlying thought behind sex-positive feminism is conservative and unimaginative, fearing a sexless void should patriarchy ever vacate the space it currently fills. And yet the truth is, those who question objectification aren’t afraid of fucking. They are not the swooning, pearl-clutching prudes dreamed up by misogynists and sex positive feminists alike. They’re just taking sex positivity one step further, by recognising that no one’s choices are made in a vacuum but that everyone needs to be respected as an autonomous sexual being. That includes you, but it includes me too, and it also includes billions of others. This is where things get complicated. It’s not all about you. It’s not all about me, either. We need a world which accommodates our differences but to create this requires a fundamental change in the whole context of sexual choices.
Let us be clear: feminism is out to screw patriarchy. It’s not there to be wheedling and apologetic. It’s not there to teach women to cope with life as subordinates. It’s not there to promote a chirpy, can-do response to a cat-call, a hand on the arse, a tongue down the throat, an unwanted grope or a rape. And if you’re thinking “all this sounds a bit judgmental,” I do understand. I know words like “patriarchy” and “male dominance” make people feel uncomfortable (I’d call it “feminismphobia” if it wasn’t time we stopped pathologising dissent). I know some women have a deep-rooted fear of how feminism could change their sexual landscape. To support something which is ultimately for everyone – but not specifically for you – is difficult, but feminism is not about misusing words (empowerment, choice, freedom) to cover up the things we don’t want to see. We’re here to knock down the entire edifice, not repaint the walls.”
Boom! Boom! – Shots Fired.
Let it be said up front that this cranky second waver bears no animus with regards to hamsters, electric vehicles, or dancing. Yet, once these elements are mixed into the toxic soup of everyone’s favourite capitalistic patriarchal construct – better known as ‘our society’ – hilarity is bound to ensue.
The advertisement in whole, before we begin.
This commercial is about selling cars. (Duh!) But who is the target audience? (if you thought hamsters, please leave now there are places better suited for your attentions). Let’s break this down and take a look at the characters.
Science Hamster #1 – Red bow-tie, suspenders.
Science Hamster#2 – Red bow-tie, red glasses and polka dot shirt.
Science Hamster#3 – Rasta hat, white shirt.
Because not all dudes are not into science! Bonus marks for catching the racial commentary this characterization is making.
Female Hamster in Ball – Brown and cute. Context wise we don’t know the ball hamster is female, but with time spent on establishing a connection one could assume.
Small, helpless, and cute. Thematic material anyone?
We’re 10 seconds into the commercial and what do we have here – 3 male represented characters creating, designing, and actively teching out with all sorts of futuristic displays and machinery. The female role, to smiled and waved at; the unsurprising passive receptacle for male attentions.
Audio note – “Baby I’m preying on you tonight. Hunt you down eat you alive,. Just like animals (x2). Ah yes because the predator/prey relationship is so sexy, and filled with equality too!
Well nothing new here under the sun so far, but as with most patriarchal adventures it gets worse the farther you go. Our intrepid female hamster gets herself into a jam by wheeling her ball into the experimental area and is zapped along with the vehicle by the transmogrifying beams of science.
Oh, silly female! Caution be thrown to the wind cause she doesn’t get Science!
Our first glimpse of her portents much of what is to come. Disembodied woman parts with feminine signifiers for the winz!
The body parts of women – sexy!
The requisite Male gaze.
To quote Keanu Reeves: Whoa…
And after a full body pan, we as viewers to get to experience the male gaze. Just some reinforcement in case you missed the objectification the first time around.
Audience gets to objectify her to, as women should be judged by the quality of their tuckus.
Now that we have primed the audience for sexual objectification, lets use it to sell the damn car!
Inviting female = inviting car?
Where is the female empowerment (do tell my Third Wave friends)?!? Oh wait the power of love. How charmingly original for a female character (do contrast this with the creator, the scientist, the engineer).
Empowerful stuff going on here.
Oh, dudes like their technology more than any single vampy female. Let’s get a shot of her looking flummoxed so we can reiterate the “female body selling car” angle again. We do remember the advertising truism – the sexual objectification of women sells.
Damn, they picked me over a car, what could they possibly after?
Our intrepid dudes roll to the nearest pet store to ‘pick up some chicks’. Consider the perceived power differential – the dudes looming over a cage of helpless females – and of course the anvilicious buying of women for happy fun sexy times.
Write your own snark about how empowering prostitution is…
So cue more science and boom! Let the female empowerment roar while striking sexy poses for dudes (science and/or otherwise)!
Huh, because vamping for dudes is approved female behaviour!
Recently bough females remarkable receptive to their buyers, with nuzzling and other overt signs of female powah affection.
Oh, we like you dudes and our role as eye-sex-candy and everything is awesome, see how much fun are having?
Cue the formation dancing with of course, our protagonists front and centre, we must never forget the centrality of the man and his power.
Never forget who is the subject and who is the object.
And thus endeth the analysis.
Going through this post made me think of all the conversations, mostly with men, about how we don’t need feminism anymore because we are an equal society now thus there is no use for feminism or feminist analysis. This was a cute commercial until you actually look at the underlying patriarchal messages that surprisingly happen to dovetail nicely how society perceives, and thus, how society treats women in 2014.
You could knock me over with a feather given how surprised I am about the level of misogyny present in our media.
As always, IBTP.
Patriarchy pissing in the punchbowl for hundreds of years continues to make things crappy, even in the land of video games.
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